Together Ssn 03 Ch. 06 - Break Glass

***All characters depicted herein are of age, 18 years old at least, and there are some activities portrayed in this that some readers may find distressing. Any violence or non-consensual act herein should never be recreated by anyone in real life. Stay safe.***

Up in the offices of Cummings Enterprises International, Tiffany, 21, and Craig, 20, sit in their office, fingering the keys of their laptops as they work through documents and spreadsheets, answering emails and forwarding them with tasks and targets for the businesses they represent. Tired eyes and sore shoulders burn with the efforts of their devotion to a never-ending list of things to do.

Into the office comes Irvine White, 57, the man who gave the young couple their opportunity to manage the assets of small businesses, giving the young couple and the businesses a chance to adapt and grow in a cut-throat world of commercial enterprise and corporate pressure. He greets Craig and Tiffany by saying, "You've come to the end of the review period we agreed to. The consensus between us is: you have performed well. Domhnall, Gracie, and Ray all support the continuation of your tenure here with accounts of your own. I stand apart from them on that.

"I will grant you, you work has been good 'til now, but you've been working on a ready-made structure of negotiated deals with defined terms and conditions. I'm under the impression that you would struggle with building accounts of your own from scratch, admirable as your efforts may be.

"That being said, if I personally took one of you, and gave you the focus you need, you could go far with us. This would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to boost yourself up into the shark tank with all of the big fish, ready to feast on a world of opportunity.

"So, Craig? I would like to take you on."

Tiffany makes her presence known as she heatedly asks, "What? You want to take on Craig?"

Irvine tells Tiffany, "You just don't have what it takes to make it in this world. Craig is the right fit for this. He is young, hungry, and..."

Tiffany interrupts Irvine to ask, "Male?," giving Irvine pause, feeling uncomfortable as she steps nearer to them, with her voice becoming more raised as she quizzes her employer, "Do you even know how much work I have put into this compared to Craig? Or, did you know that Craig has come to me for advice on how to conduct himself in certain situations, or how to do things? Or, perhaps you should know that I have proofread many of his documents and spreadsheets that obviously impressed you enough to consider him over me? Why even make a competition out of this when we both do the work? Is it because you want to cut out another share of the profits to make yours look better? Do you think that passing up a woman despite her merits over her male peers is acceptable? How do you think Bonnie would react to hearing that? Are you going to tell her she won't amount to anything in business, in the world, in life?

"I am putting in far much more work than any of my peers, not because I am trying to prove anything, but because it should be done, and I am capable of doing it. I am doing it. I have been working such long hours for it. I have hardly been home. I carry the stresses on my shoulders. I am the one responsible for this success. Craig has done great work with me, I don't mean to diminish that, so don't diminish my work, my value."

Craig calmly says to Irvine, "You should listen to her, because everything she says is true. I wouldn't have seen out the first week here if it wasn't for Tiffany. She is the one you want, not me."

Irvine replies to Craig, "It sounds to me like you have a willingness to learn, even from your peers. This is a great quality, and will stand you in good stead. We would like to have a meeting with you to discuss your future with us."

Craig concernedly asks, "For, us," indicating Tiffany, "to discuss our futures, right?"

Irvine says, "Of course!"

Tiffany tells Irvine and Craig, "You two go on up. There is business to attend to here that needs to be done, and I am not leaving it unfinished. I will join you when it is appropriate to do so."

Irvine puts his arm around Craig's shoulder, and says, "Very well. We will leave you to your business," and they go upstairs, leaving Tiffany alone in her office to continue her work.

An hour goes by, and Tiffany is still tending to business, pouring over spreadsheets and emails, and communicating feedback to the relevant persons where she needs to, to ensure a smooth workflow between the businesses under her purview.

Tiffany is visited by Irvine, who enters her office with a swagger indicative of his intent, to be assertive, and appear as the alpha, communicating an air of confidence with his poise and stature. Tiffany walks around to his side of the desk, and tiredly reports, "I have done all I can for now. Let's meet with the others."

Irvine stands uncomfortably close to Tiffany, so she can smell his strong aftershave, and feel the heat of his breath on her face, and he asks her, "You think you are the big shot? You think you have value? You can dress like us, and talk like us, and work like us all you want, but it doesn't change what you are. All I see is a small and worthless little girl," rubbing his hands all over her body, "Trembling before greatness. Your success that you believe you are responsible for, it was already set up by me. Your role is nothing more than a mediator. Your worth in this is tiny. I remove you, and it changes nothing. Your success has been thrust upon you by me. You should get used to how it feels beneath me."

Irvine grips the backs of Tiffany's legs and pulls them up, making her lose her balance, and stumbling onto the desk behind her, shoving her computer monitor, which teeters for a moment before leaning back on it's stand against the young woman's head and shoulder. He shunts her back on the desk, knocking off the computer monitor, keyboard, mouse, and spilling paper files onto the floor with a crash.

Tiffany is suddenly gripped by anxiety from the din of the crash resonating through her bones, and ringing in her mind with a dull tone, and she curls up, instinctively to defend herself as she cowers beneath her employer. She feels him wrench her trousers down to her knees, and sliding his fingers to push aside the seat of her panties, as he holds her legs to his chest, and his cock rocks up and down her pussy lips.

Irvine sneers as he looks down on the young businesswoman beneath him, feeling the surge of adrenaline rush blood to all of his extremities, reinforcing his position and bolstering his will with a clear display of intent. He teases the young woman with the hard heat threatening to take her over.

Tiffany feels herself becoming weak under this man, bucking under the enormity of his authority in this position, weighing on her with definitive and undeniable pressure, taking advantage of her vulnerability in this moment.

Irvine stops rocking his cock up and down Tiffany's pussy lips, and holds it firmly as he pops it inside, leaning onto the young woman's raised legs with each thrust, sinking his length deep into her. She sits up, trying to pull herself away at first, but Irvine's hold around her legs tightens, keeping her in place. He feels her push against him, gingerly at first as she tries to sit up far enough to reach with Irvine holding her legs with her trousers trapped around the knees.

Dropping back onto the desk with a thud, Tiffany digs her shoulders into it, and tries to shuffle forward with them, arching her back, and braces on her shoulders to force her hips forward, slipping over the edge of the desk as Irvine pulls back mid-thrust. Tiffany allows herself to fall from the desk, dropping onto her arse as her pelvic bone shudders with a numbness like toothache.

Irvine tries to reach down to pick up the young woman, but Tiffany pushes back with all of her strength, causing him to stumble, giving her time to pull up her trousers around her waist whilst she sits against the desk. Irvine finds his balance, and he rushes back to Tiffany.

Tiffany hurls herself over the desk, rolling off the other side, crashing onto her chair as it wheels back, and she orients herself enough to reach up with her arm to press the panic button installed under her desk. Then, feeling herself immediately wrenched up by the belly, winding her as Irvine heaves her back against his body, kicks her chair aside, and slams her against the window with a dull thunk, looking out over the grey buildings beneath her.

Irvine thrusts himself into Tiffany's pussy from behind, as he braces the back of her neck, smushing her cheek, forehead, and side of her nose into the glass. His enjoyment of her interrupted by the young woman stamping her foot hard onto his, causing him to recoil, and as he does, she swings around and clips his face hard with an elbow. He leans back against the desk for a moment, nursing his nose, checking for bleeding, and he sees none, but, with it stinging, he sniffles and throws himself at Tiffany, slamming her shoulders hard onto the glass behind her as he clenches his fists around the lapels of her suit jacket.

Mercifully, Tiffany can just about see past Irvine's head, watching as security guards run up the hallway and into the office, and when they arrive, they pull Irvine away from her and check up on her condition. Defiantly, Tiffany declares, "You are finished, with the CCTV footage showing your aggression and hostility, and damage to company property, and, we know a good lawyer; a woman. We will make it our mission to squeeze every ounce of justice out of your misogynistic ass. Look at me. Do you still see a small and worthless little girl? I will personally see to every deal you have going, and will make sure every transaction goes to where it needs. You needn't worry. It will all be here when you get back; if you get back."

Irvine spits, "You think you have won something? Your untrained mind will break under the strain of what I deal with on a daily basis. You will end up with nothing."

Tiffany sassily responds, "So will you."

Irvine states, "It is not up to you to take over my work load anyway."

Entering the office, Domhnall Cummings says, "No. It is up to me."

Craig rushes to Tiffany's side, hugging and kissing her, as Irvine struggles in the grips of the guards, pleading with Domhnall, "Tell them to let me go. You must see reason."

Domhnall doesn't even look at Irvine as he gives his reply to him, "I have seen reason, from the playback of the security footage, seeing the horror you inflicted on young Miss Bright here. I don't know what possessed you to act in a manner such as this, but it is not becoming of one in my empire. Such as it is, Irvine White, forthwith you are stripped of all status and privilege in Cummings Enterprises International, and all titles you are associated within the company, and are dismissed from the premises to never set foot on them again for any reason."

Irvine begs of his friend, "No. Domhnall? We are like brothers."

Domhnall softly says, "You are no brother of mine," and gestures with his hand for the guards to escort Irvine from the premises as he has decreed. He approaches Tiffany, and first of all asks her, "How are you, Tiffany?"

Tiffany replies candidly, "I will be fine. A little shaken if I'm honest, but I can handle it."

Domhnall smiles, and says to her, "I saw what happened to you. I want it to be clear, if it isn't already, that Irvine's actions, and whatever his words may have been, are no reflection, nor are representative, of any of us here at Cummings Enterprises International. He likes to say that I, his brother, Ray, and he all worked hard to build this business to what it currently is, and it is true in part, but Gracie is a huge part of that; perhaps contributing greater than the three of us. And, don't forget that we inherited this from Archibald and Elise, and Elise worked hard to build it from nothing with him.

"I'm not saying that the women have any greater power or value here than the men, but I am saying that ambition, in my experience, doesn't have a gender. We all bring something to this. Craig tells me you have been doing a lot of work here, determined to prove yourself. He tells me that he feels like you should have a permanent place here instead of him. I'm interested to hear your thoughts, Tiffany?"

Tiffany holds Craig tight, and thinks for a moment before telling Domhnall, "I do put a lot of effort into this; not because I am trying to impress anyone here, but because I want to prove to myself I can do it. If I fail, I want to pick myself up and learn from it. If I succeed, I want to know what went right, and if I could have achieved a greater result.

"The work I have done here these past months are not of my own efforts entirely. Craig has done a tremendous amount of work himself, and, whatever he thinks of himself, I think of him very highly, and, whatever I have done, I could not have done it without his support. I don't think you could really separate our work. It just is what it is.

"I came here because I thought I was wanted, but it seems like Irvine wanted to groom Craig as a protege of some sort, and only got him with me as a package deal, and wanted to get rid of me someway. Whatever his intention was, I am here now, and I want to continue here if I am welcome, but only if Craig works with me. We are to be co-signed to every deal we are party to."

Domhnall asks Craig, "Is this something you agree to?"

Craig replies, "Yes. I am in full support of this."

Domhnall smiles, and says, "You remind me of Gracie and myself, or even Archibald and Elise. You could very well be the inheritors of the empire. I hereby agree to your terms and conditions, Miss Bright, and will get it in writing as soon as is appropriate for you to check over and sign.

"To give your work experience a much needed boost, you will handle between you Irvine's work in full, with the support of Gracie, Ray, and myself. We will be happy to help as we can, as we do with George and Lucy. Are you ready for the lion's share?"

Tiffany confidently says, "We will take it all on, with the aim to make it work, whatever it takes," and she extends her hand to Domhnall for a handshake.

Domhnall receives the handshake strongly, and declares, "It will be done. I see a great businessperson in front of me. It will be a privilege to see you come into your own with us," and he turns to Craig, offering his hand to him for a handshake, and tells him, "Tiffany is a natural leader, but I recognise your worth too. Greatness is better shouldered on the shoulders of two, for on one, it is a burden to make the knees break."

Craig takes Domhnall's hand, and nods as he shakes it saying, "I believe in her, but I understand. You are telling me I have a place here too."

Domhnall says, "Archibald travelled far and wide to weave the web that this empire is built on, but without Elise, he wouldn't have been driven to do it. And, when they did build it, it was Elise who became the one who brokered the biggest deals that made their fortune.

"With Gracie and I, Elise took Gracie and fashioned her into a women who can get anything she wants. Gracie is irreplaceable in this organisation, with my role being more administrative to ensure all the pieces of the puzzle fit together as they are needed, but those pieces were put into the puzzle by her.

"Craig, you can believe in Tiffany all you want, but what will be better is to be a part of her story, and her success. It is not my story, nor Gracie's, but our story. It is not Archibald's story, nor Elise's, but theirs. They inspired each other and helped each other to greatness, you can do the same, but it will be better if you do it together. If you want to believe in anyone, believe in yourself, so long as you be there. I want to grow old, handing over the empire to you one day; both of you."

Tiffany smiles, with Craig by her side, and says, "One day you will."

Domhnall states, "Irvine's disgrace means there is a lot of work to do with legal, and all associated clients, to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities in his absence such that everything happens with as little disruption as possible to maintain relations in a manner that doesn't draw attention nor raise concern. In the meantime, keep up the good work," and he shakes hands with Craig and Tiffany.

Security, paramedics, and police come to take statements from everyone on what transpired in this office, and Tiffany is checked over for any bruising, wounds, general discomfort, as well as monitoring her vitals, before giving her account of events. Stoically, she appears calm to everyone, but her demeanour is betrayed by a rush of adrenaline causing her to feel shaky after her fight with Irvine.

Given the option to go home by Domhnall, Tiffany and Craig both elect to stay, as their work still continues regardless of events that have transpired, and the emergency responders give no indication of anything serious to suggest going home, suggesting Tiffany should feel normal soon. Physically normal, at least, as Tiffany is reminded of her ordeal with Linford last year, and now this?

Determined to show herself as capable and resilient, Tiffany puts on a brave face and sits side-by-side on the office sofa with Craig, feeling the warmth of his presence as they work together. The focus on work buries any acknowledgement of Tiffany's feelings beneath thoughts of her duties and responsibilities.

By the time Tiffany realises the time, the sun rises and bursts into the office. She hadn't even realised it had gone dark, but here she is, with Craig softly and soundly sleeping with his head rested on her shoulder. Tiffany takes the time to take in the sunrise, watching the burst of colour transform the dark sky into the light grey of the early morning. She yawns, showing her first signs of tiredness for many hours, and she stirs her boyfriend to suggest, "Hey, babe? Let's get out of here for now and get some proper sleep at home."

Craig looks tiredly up at Tiffany, and moans, "Mmm, yeah... What time is it?"

Tiffany replies, "It's morning. We have a meeting in eight hours, so let's get well-rested and ready for it, yeah?"

Craig nods in agreement with a deep yawn, and he responds, "Yeah, babe..."

Tiffany helps Craig up, and they leave the office, with the intent to return better prepared for what awaits them.